New York City Street Vendor Receives Call from the President During a Visit to the FBI’s JTTF in New York

May 3, 2010 - Duane M. Jackson, President of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 817 and one of the street vendors who alerted the NYPD of the suspicious vehicle in Times Square on May 1, 2010, visited the FBI’s New York Office today to meet with Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Counterterrorism Division Greg Fowler and members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).

During Mr. Jackson’s visit this afternoon, he received a phone call from President Barack Obama thanking him for his tremendous contribution to community service.

“Everybody has a responsibility to keep the city safe. On Saturday, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and I am happy that no one was injured in this attempted attack on our city,” said Mr. Jackson.

“The citizens of New York serve as one of the primary defenses in protecting our city from a terrorist attack. Duane Jackson saw something suspicious and immediately reported it to the authorities. We hope the people of New York will continue to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to law enforcement,” said SAC Fowler.